Gentlemen,

Well I have finally found “the one” 9.3X74R/16ga double rifle drilling that has been on my list of desired treasures to acquire for a long time. Though this particular piece was retailed by Helmut Zehner of Frankfurt the gun was actually made by one of my favorite makers, Bernhard Merkel of Suhl as noted by his stamp "Bemesu" on the receiver and barrels. The year of manufacture is 1938. The scope is a period Hensoldt-Wetzlar Dural-Dialytan 4X with its original lens covers. I haven’t had the time, and have no idea when I will, for a proper photo shoot but hopefully these bench and den photos will suffice. What makes this DR drilling extra special, for me anyway besides being a 9.3X74R DR, is that it is a side-plate Anson & Deeley box-lock.

Here is what fellow GGCA member and NE forum contributor Kuduae had to say about the action in an earlier e-mail correspondence on the subject of this drilling:

“…this gun is neither a side-lock, nor a side-plated Blitz-/trigger plate action, but a side-plated box-lock or Anson drilling. These are quite rare, as making them is even more complicated, real expensive, than a side-lock. As you have to fit two locks on the right, one on the left of the barrel lumps, these are usually set over to the left slightly to avoid an over wide and heavy action bar. Their advantage: The action area, distance trigger to breech face, is about 1" shorter than the others, bringing the center of gravity further to the rear.”

Here too is a bit on Bernhard Merkel from Dietrich Apel’s (founder of the GGCA) “German Hunting Guns” website http://www.germanhuntingguns.com/ :

Bernhard Merkel (1874-1954) Trade Name: BEMESU - Bemesu

Bernhard Emil Merkel, a son of Friedrich Ernst Ferdinand, founded a Company at Wolfsgrube 16 (in Suhl) at an unknown date at the turn of the century. The Gun Company Bernhard Merkel is taken over by a son Fritz (1906-1976), one of the three children. All kinds of hunting and sporting guns of solid construction and execution were produced. This is also the case during the war years 1939 to 1945. It is not known whether parts for military guns were made, but this was most likely the case. The hunting guns were unsurpassed in quality and handling qualities. Bernhard was himself a hunter. The guns were marked with the B. Merkel Suhl signature. Among others Bernhard Merkel made guns for the Companies Barella, Genschow, Kettner, Kind and Mauser as well as for individual customers. To accommodate the owners and friends in these companies they also performed repairs on handguns.

By 1930 the company had approximately 12 employees. After 1945 Bernhard and his son Fritz (1906-1976) who had returned from a prison camp, worked as gunsmiths together with a stock maker for the Gun Makers’ Cooperative BüHaG into the 1970s.

And now, off to a boar hunt!